Please sign in to post.

Is it to early to…

Posted by (somewhere in IA, Iowa, United States) on

I’m sitting here in the middle of Iowa at 15 degrees wishing winter was over. Decided to start making some of the online reservations I will be needing while on tour.
I will be traveling from United States to England early September 2022 for the Best of Southern England tour and I have three questions for the forum.

  1. Is it to early to reserve a room for a couple of days/nights pre tour in Canterbury?

  2. Looking at airline tickets costs but considering what’s going on with Covid. Is it early to buy?

  3. Does the forum think that RS Tours will be sending a message about what kind/brands/models of masks that required for England? What paperwork and forms needed.

Thank you for reading and keep warm,
Cathy

Posted by
6501 posts

  1. You should know what Canterbury hotel the tour group will use, and it's not too early to book pre-tour nights there if the hotel is accepting bookings this early. Some hotels don't take advance bookings more than six months or so beforehand. That might show up on a hotel's website as "no vacancy." If you find that, you could e mail the hotel directly. However you contact them, make clear that you'll be on the tour and see if you can have the same room. And don't pre-pay for the room, you may have to cancel.

  2. I'd say it's too early to buy air tickets, but not too early to start exploring routings and fares. Try kayak.com, google flights, and skyscanner.com to see what your options might be. I suggest trying to avoid connections through third countries whose Covid conditions and rules may complicate your trip. So if you're flying from the US, look for a transatlantic nonstop to London, even if that means a layover in a US airport (same if Canada). I usually buy a non-refundable ticket about four months before a trip. Airlines are waiving change fees now, they may still be doing so later this spring. While search engines help you find flights, do the actual booking on the airline's own website.

  3. I think the RS company will be letting you know, with as much detail as possible, what England's requirements are. But you should be keeping tabs on this yourself. Here's a good starting point; check periodically for updates. And be sure you know the US (or Canadian) requirements for return.

Posted by
2507 posts

I doubt there will be any requirement for face coverings come September.

Posted by
6113 posts
  1. It’s not too early so long as the deposit is refundable.
  2. Again, make sure any ticket is refundable or flexible. Make sure you are happy with the price. I have flights booked for October/November. I know schedules can change.
  3. England hasn’t had any rules about what kind of mask needs to be worn, so I doubt this will change this year. Your airline may have certain requirements.
Posted by
38 posts

Dick, Rambling, and Jennifer

Dick, thank you for the tip about asking if I am able reserve the same room that I would be staying in during the tour.

Rambling and Jennifer, I’m hoping that we will not have to wear masks while there.

Thank you for answering my questions, Cathy

Posted by
3122 posts

Re: question 3, I'm confident that RS Tours will notify you of what kind/brands/models of masks are required, if there are any mask requirements in England at that time. Your airline and the airports you'll be passing through may have requirements of their own. Nobody can really predict what they'll be in September.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.